Finding Kansas: Living and Decoding Asperger's Syndrome

by Aaron Likens

Overview

All I want is someone to care, to know, to understand. And maybe, for a brief moment, I will be free...

Finding Kansas is a memoir like no other, written by an unlikely author who at first never dreamed he would find even one reader. When he was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome at age 20, Aaron Likens began to collect his thoughts and experiences on paper-the highs, the lows, the challenges, and the unexpected joys. What he found was hope — not only for himself, but also for others with Asperger's. Now a sought-after speaker and blogger, he is passionate about sharing his insights into this often misunderstood condition.

Aaron has another passion, too: the world of auto racing. A successful flag man at racing events across the country, Aaron calls racing his Kansas-a place where he feels safe, confident, and normal. For others on the autism spectrum, Kansas might be trains, history, or the weather. It is here where, like Aaron, they find freedom, and the possibility for growth and change

Finding Kansas brings us into Aaron's world and, in the process, offers a richly observed, deeply thoughtful, and sometimes painful picture of what it's like to live on the autism spectrum.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780399537332
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	04/03/2012
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	1,124,327
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

After being diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome when he was 20 years old, Aaron Likens wrote Finding Kansas: Living and Decoding Asperger’s Syndrome. He was named a 2012 Mental Health Champion of Missouri and dedicates his time to raising autism awareness.

Table of Contents

Foreword Mark A. Cameron, Ph.D., MA xiii

A Few Words About My Son xvii

The Best Day 1

Emily 6

Linda 19

Game Theory 31

Work 35

See 46

Fear 49

Trapped 55

Tomorrow 60

Crash 63

School 66

Scream 71

Kenya 80

Desire 85

Las Vegas 87

Film Theory 98

The Darkroom 104

Maybe... 107

What Does It Mean... 110

Small Things 118

A Friend Gone 124

I... 130

Finding Kansas: The Situational Handicap 135

Music 139

Travel 143

What Has Become...? 146

Fear Versus Fear 149

Sentence 153

Crippled in Addiction 156

Must... 161

The Hazards of "Firsts" 167

Media and "Firsts" 171

Future 175

One Thousand Outcomes 177

The Conscious Coma 180

Invisible Reminders 183

Quest 187

Tomorrow Is an Eternity Away 191

If I Were Dying of Thirst... Would I Ask for a Glass of Water? 194

The Limit of "Coulds" 198

Asperger's Geometry 200

The Fourth Wall 203

Aliases 206

In the End 210

Editorial Reviews

Likens, who was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome at 20, has written not a self-help book but a rigorous examination of his life so far. Similar to Temple Grandin's first book, Emergence, this title provides a unique window into a complex inner world. Likens describes the joys in his life: auto racing, race-flagging, the comfort of rule-based games, even airport layovers. He also explains his concept of Kansas—a place where he feels calm, capable, and whole. Likens is honest about painful moments too, from the former girlfriend who told him no one would want to date a person with Asperger's, to his hatred of school, to his opinion that he is completely unlikable. Aaron is an affecting writer and speaker for Asperger's. VERDICT This absorbing and ultimately hopeful book is recommended for young people with Asperger's and their family, friends, and colleagues, as well as for fans of Grandin and of John Elder Robison's Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's. A perfect pick for April, which is Autism Awareness Month.—Elizabeth Safford, Nevins Memorial Lib., Methuen, MA

Library Journal